The Eye of the Storm

Finals week has fallen upon us just like the snow that's made this week just a little more testing. It is the time in which students receive the least amount of sleep that we will experience every term, with the term literally two days from coming to an end. It seemed as if this day was never to come, only for it to have creeped upon us like as stranger in the dark. I can attest that I've slept minimally in the last few days, the hope that these final exams will propel my grade even further. For those who have slacked off all term, the crunch time is on and these last few days have seemed like judgment day.
Final exams have a bittersweet feeling to them, it is the final stretch of the race, but it is the most important time of the year. The finish line is in sight, but the marathon has left you breathless and tired. Slacking is not an option when nearly 15% of a students grade is on the line. The culmination of all that has been learned in the last 11 weeks and a discipline that may seem alien to many, studying. The halls of our dorms have quieted, students have locked themselves in their rooms and the library with nothing but a stack of papers, a computer, a few text books, and several cups of coffee. Although the 24 hour quiet hour that is imposed every finals week plays a role, I believe that even if this was not in effect there would be no change.
At midnight on the Sunday, the eve before finals, the campus center was packed to the brim. Students lined up for the Midnight breakfast that is put on the evening before finals. This is a lovely event, on that is provided by the college that lifts the spirits of all students. The familiar faces of faculty that have been seen all year turning the gears of the college behind the scenes from their offices and meeting rooms are the servers for the evening. They serve hefty portions of breakfast food for each student, almost as a good luck wish. This event instills in us, the college's students, an energy boost for the long week that is to come.
We're two days from the finish line, some students have been lucky enough to finish. We are not racing against each others, each student is in a league of their own. Taking aid from those who share the same classes as us, each student will either fulfill their aspirations for the term or fall short of their goal. At the end of the day, it is only you who must stand at the podium and claim your gold medal, for this leg of the race is almost over. Tomorrow brings another day and a new race is soon to begin. Saddened to see some cherished faces depart from our halls and will not return next term to continue the race here at Elmira College can weigh heavy upon the heart, but the sadness will wash away. For the friends we have made here and the trials that we have endured we will never forget.